Follow the Child to a Better World
Thoughts on the new school year
“Adolescence is the time to stretch students’ points of view, before they become ‘stuck’ as adults in particular ways of thinking about the world.”
This phrase, said to me by a colleague, struck me as many of us begin a new school year.
There is much truth to be unpacked in that statement. Adolescents are looking to find a moral framework and to form their identities in the adult world, and as educators we have a responsibility to stretch their perspectives, insights, and ideas about the world and their place in it.
What bothered me was the second half of the sentence: the idea about adults leaving school and becoming “stuck” in a particular point of view of framework of the world. In many ways, we know this to be true, especially with social media algorithms keeping us in our echo chambers of political same-ness.
However, this is not something we can entirely blame social media for. Many people leave school and actively avoid learning because of their negative associations with it. This is the result of a system of education which paints learning as “drill and kill” exercises for the purpose of passing a test, rather than an integral part of leading a fulfilling life.
The Beginners Mind
What happens, far too often, is that we as adults forget our “beginners mind.” The beginners mind is a Buddhist concept which, in essence, is a state of mind which allows us to take in new information and ideas, unburdened by our previous experience or perceived expertise. The “masters mind,” while experienced, is not flexible or open to new ideas. It defaults to “what has always been” as opposed to “what could be.”
So what can we do, as adults, to step back into our beginners mind? For this, Maria Montessori offered some guidance.
In her book, Education and Peace, Montessori wrote that “the child reveals themselves to adults in order to guide us through the labyrinth.” She wrote clearly that we, as adults, are unable to see the path to creating a society based in equitable interdependence.
To take an example from history, we see many (if not most) movements for social change come from young people within a society. Take a look at the recent upheaval in Bangladesh, which resulted in a new transition government after the previous government became hostile to dissenting citizens. This movement was led by college students who were able to envision a better, more equitable future.
The same can be said about U.S. college campus protestors who joined together in pro-Palestinian encampments in the spring, and are just now starting their activism on campus again for a new academic year. These young people are able to see the flaws with our current system and are demanding a future which is more human than the one we currently have.
In response to these types of protests, we often see adults who are “stuck” saying things like “where are the adults?”
We know where the adults are- they are the ones who orchestrated the current status quo, willingly or unwillingly. This is not about blame, but about a clear-eyed view of reality, because we did not get to where we are by accident.
So where does that leave us, as adults seeking to serve young people in this new school year?
We must begin to heed Montessori’s call and let young people guide us out of this historical moment of chaos and uncertainty.
As we begin a new school year, I invite you to ponder some questions:
What are my students showing me that is contrary to my view of the world, and what can I learn from that?
How are my adult prejudices and ideas preventing me from truly seeing what my students have to offer?
How can my students lead me, and our community, to an ameliorated community? To an ameliorated society?
If we are willing to bring our beginners mind to our work, to truly listen to what our students have to say and co-create with them, we will be doing important work of individual and societal transformation.
Join The Enlightened Educator Project!
The Enlightened Educator Project is on a mission to to develop mindful, reflective, and resilient educators to make education more humanizing and sustainable for all.
If this resonates with you, we are looking for schools and individuals to join our cohort of educators who are building community and resilience together. Cohorts start in the Fall and Winter.
Check out our website at www.EnlightenedEducatorProject.org and learn more about our school cohort model here!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lE1Z3lQFkiZ9YZtPlvkSutdverMrBcz_/view?usp=sharing
